MILTON, June 29, 2021 – The buzz around harness racing’s three-year-old pacing colt and gelding division increased this week, which allows for a shakeup on the ‘Road to the NA Cup’ rankings. Woodbine’s Mark McKelvie has released his latest rankings of the top Pepsi North America Cup eligible horses. A total of 46 three-year-old pacers remain eligible to this year’s edition of the ‘Cup’. Perfect Sting was rated number one in last week’s initial rankings, but drops to number two this week thanks to another victory by Abuckabett Hanover, who is now four for four on the season. The Tony Alagna trained Abuckabett Hanover captured an elimination for the Messenger in his latest victory. Travis Alexander’s American Courage, the other elimination winner, also kept his perfect three-year-old record intact and moves up from six to three on McKelvie’s list. Although Joe Holloway’s Perfect Sting was declared the winner in Saturday’s Pennsylvania Sires Stakes division, the victory came by placing following the disqualification of original first-place finisher Rockyroad Hanover. Perfect Sting, the pre-season favourite, now sports a record of two wins in three starts. Rockyroad Hanover may have been disqualified, but his effort certainly turned heads, which allows the Alagna trainee to make his debut on McKelvie’s list in the number ten spot. Road to the #NACup | ? Things are heating up, as we've got a new #️⃣1️⃣ horse on this week's 'Road to the #NACup' rankings – Check out @MohawkMarkM's latest list! ➡️ | https://t.co/2iieEXk1oo#️⃣ | #NACup #BetWoodbineSB pic.twitter.com/MktEJ2FXrX — Woodbine Mohawk Park (@WoodbineSB) June 29, 2021 This week’s full rankings can be viewed below. ‘The Road to the NA Cup’ will continue to heat up this weekend, as Woodbine Mohawk Park plays host to the first Ontario Sires Stakes Gold event of the season on Saturday. The $500,000 Messenger will also take place on Friday evening at Yonkers Raceway. The $1 million Pepsi North America Cup takes place on Saturday, September 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Eliminations are scheduled for the week prior on Saturday, September 4. Road to the NA Cup – June 29, 2021 Record: Starts-1st-2nd-3rd (Earnings) 1 – Abuckabett Hanover (Last Week: #2) Owner: Crawford Farms Racing, Alagna Racing, Jablonsky Held Stable, Barbera Wienick Stable Trainer: Tony Alagna Driver: Andrew McCarthy 2021: 4-4-0-0 ($92,686) Life: 15-7-1-2 ($286,915) Time: 1:49.1 (Meadowlands) Last Week: 1st in Messenger elimination at Yonkers (06/25/21) 2 – Perfect Sting (Last Week: #1) Owner: Brittany Farms, Val D’or Farms Trainer: Joe Holloway Driver: David Miller 2021: 3-2-1-0 ($95,677) Life: 13-12-1-0 ($629,977) Time: 1:48.1 (Meadowlands) Last Week: 2nd placed 1st in PASS at The Meadows (06/26/21) 3 – American Courage (Last Week: #6) Owner: Fiddlers Creek Stables L Trainer: Travis Alexander Driver: Matt Kakaley 2021: 3-3-0-0 ($38,375) Life: 11-10-0-0 ($218,633) Time: 1:49.4 (Pocono) Last Week: 1st in Messenger elimination at Yonkers (06/25/21) 4 – Southwind Gendry (Last Week: #3) Owner: Burke Racing Stable, Phillip Collura, Knox Services, JandT Silva Purnel & Libb Trainer: Ron Burke Driver: Yannick Gingras 2021: 4-2-2-0 ($126,772) Life: 17-12-2-1 ($709,841) Time: 1:49.3Q (Meadowlands) Last Week: 3rd placed 2nd in PASS at The Meadows (06/26/21) 5 – Lawless Shadow (Last Week: #4) Owner: Dr. Ian Moore, R G McGroup Ltd, Serge Savard, Frank Cannon Trainer: Dr. Ian Moore Driver: Bob McClure 2021: 4-3-1-0 ($31,500) Life: 13-7-4-1 ($339,124) Time: 1:50 (Scioto) Last Week: Did Not Race 6 – One Eight Hundred (Last Week: #7) Owner: Brixton Medical Inc, Nancy Taker Trainer: Nancy Takter Driver: Tim Tetrick 2021: 8-6-0-0 ($89,910) Life: 13-7-1-1 ($106,708) Time: 1:48 (Meadowlands) Last Week: 1st in N/W $12,500 Last 5; AE: N/W 7 at The Meadowlands (06/26/21) 7 – Bulldog Hanover (Last Week: #5) Owner: Jack Darling Stables, Brad Grant Trainer: Jack Darling Driver: Jody Jamieson 2021: 1-0-0-0 ($1,760) Life: 7-4-1-0 ($250,610) Time: 1:50.2 (Woodbine Mohawk Park) Last Week: Did Not Race 8 – Second Bruiser (Last Week: #10) Owner: Stefan Piekos, Vernon Cochrane Trainer: Vernon Cochrane Driver: James MacDonald 2021: 1-1-0-0 ($10,000) Life: 6-5-0-0 ($80,825) Time: 1:50.4 (Woodbine Mohawk Park) Last Week: Did Not Race 9 – Desperate Man (Last Week: #9) Owner: Kathy & John Cecchin, Nicole & Paul Davies Trainer: Kathy Cecchin Driver: Trevor Henry 2021: 1-0-0-1 ($2,640) Life: 7-3-1-2 ($221,312) Time: 1:51.2 (Woodbine Mohawk Park) Last Week: 3rd in N/W of 5 or $95,000 at Woodbine Mohawk Park (06/26/21) 10 – Rockyroad Hanover (Last Week: Not Ranked) Owner: Riverview Racing, Brad Grant, Kenneth Jacobs, Plouffe Head And Vj Stabl, Trainer: Tony Alagna Driver: Dexter Dunn 2021: 6-3-0-2 ($41,441) Life: 9-4-0-2 ($47,051) Time: 1:52.2 (Meadowlands) Last Week: 1st placed 5th in PASS at The Meadows (06/26/21) Upcoming Races: Friday, July 2: MGM Grand Messenger – Yonkers (NY) Saturday, July 3: Ontario Sires Stakes Gold – Woodbine Mohawk Park (ON) Eligible Horses: ABUCKABETT HANOVER ALWAYS A MIKI AMERICAN COURAGE AS ALWAYS BAYFIELD BEACH BETTIM AGAIN BETTOR SUN BULLDOG HANOVER CANDY TRADER CAPTAINOFROCKNROLL CAPTAINS PLACE CHASE H HANOVER CONTROL HEAVEN DEAN B HANOVER DESPERATE MAN EXPLOIT GREAT SOMEWHERE HIGHLANDBEACHSBEST ISLAND BEACH BOY JIMMY CONNOR B JK GOING WEST JOELSYY HANOVER JTS JET KINKAID SEELSTER KOMODO BEACH LAWLESS SHADOW LINEDRIVE HANOVER LOUS PEARLMAN NO BETTER JOY ONE EIGHT HUNDRED PERFECT STING PIRATE HANOVER P L OZZY PROLINE RAU RU RED RIGHT HAND ROCKYROAD HANOVER SARATOGA BLUE CHIP SECOND BRUISER SIMON SAYS HANOVER SOUTHWIND GENDRY SOUTHWIND PETYR SUMMA CUM LAUDE TWIN B EAGLE WARRAWEE WHYNOT WHICHWAYTOTHEBEACH Share This:Share
